{{short description|British soprano in opera and concert|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Lucy Crowe | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} | image = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1978}} | birth_place = Staffordshire, England | education = {{plainlist| * Royal Academy of Music * British Youth Opera }} | occupation = Operatic soprano | awards = {{plainlist| * Royal Overseas Gold Medal * Kathleen Ferrier Award }} }} '''Lucy Mary Elizabeth Crowe''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} is an English soprano in opera and concert. She has performed at international opera houses and music festivals such as the Glyndebourne Festival and Rheingau Musik Festival.
== Career == Born in Staffordshire, England, Crowe studied voice at the Royal Academy of Music and trained with British Youth Opera in 2002 and again in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucy Crowe joins us as vice president |url=https://www.byo.org.uk/articles/lucy-crowe-joins-us-as-vice-president |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=British Youth Opera |language=en-GB}}</ref> Crowe received the Royal Overseas Gold Medal in 2002, and won second prize in the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 2005.<ref name="bc" />
In the field of historically informed performance she has collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Sixteen, The King's Consort and Les Musiciens du Louvre, among others.<ref name="bc" /> She has sung in Mozart's ''Requiem'', with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra, Haydn's oratorios ''The Creation'' and ''The Seasons'' with John Eliot Gardiner.<ref name="Lucerne" /> In 2010 she performed at the Wigmore Hall with Rolando Villazón and the Gabrieli Consort conducted by Paul McCreesh: "Lucy Crowe handled a couple of Cleopatra's arias from ''Giulio Cesare'' with all the bright radiant tone and effortless facility they deserve."<ref name="Intermezzo" /> In 2012 she was reported as saying that she was mainly seen as a baroque singer, although she was developing other repertoire.<ref name="Christiansen" />
In 2012 she sang the soprano part in Mahler's ''Resurrection Symphony'' on a festival tour with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andris Nelsons.<ref name="klassik" />
In April 2021, Crowe was joined by the London Handel Players at the Wigmore Hall in a performance of three works, J.S. Bach's Cantata ''Ich habe genug'', BWV 82a and two arias by Handel. In January 2025, Crowe was again in concert at the Wigmore Hall singing Corelli and Handel with The English Concert directed by Trevor Pinnock.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Radio 3 in Concert - The English Concert at Wigmore Hall - BBC Sounds |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0027m42 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250221191623/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0027m42 |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 February 2025 |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>
===Opera=== Crowe made her debut with the Scottish Opera, appearing as Sophie in ''Der Rosenkavalier'' by Richard Strauss. In April 2007 her Drusilla, in ''The Coronation of Poppea'' with English National Opera was described as "feisty".<ref name="Clements" /> Also in 2007 she joined ENO in David McVicar's staging of Handel's ''Agrippina''<ref name="bc" /> where her "beguiling" Poppea was described as "the most exciting discovery ... rendered the more so by her frequent stripteases."<ref name="Holden" /> In April 2012 she performed for the first time the part of Gilda in Verdi's ''Rigoletto'' at the Royal Opera, stepping in at short notice on a recommendation by conductor John Eliot Gardiner.<ref name="Christiansen" /> In May and June 2013 she performed the title role of Leoš Janáček's ''The Cunning Little Vixen'' at the Glyndebourne Festival. A review noted: {{quote|The action is dominated by Lucy Crowe's Vixen, a powerhouse of foxy ingenuity, her tail switching saucily while her light and easy soprano floats through Janáček's sometimes treacherous lines.<ref name="Kimberley" />}} In 2013 she sang Gilda again at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, conducted by Roberto Rizzi Brignoli.<ref name="Berlin" /> In 2014 she sang Adina in Donizetti's ''L'elisir d'amore'' at the Royal Opera. In 2015 Crowe performed in Couperin's ''Leçons des ténèbres'' at the Spitalfields Festival. Writing in ''The Daily Telegraph'', Jonathan McAloon said: <blockquote> Singing the first of the three Leçons, Crowe’s acclaim as an international opera star was evident in her command of dynamics and characterisation; the purity of her higher register was offset by the tormented, near faltering effect she produced in the lower passages.<ref name="McAloon" /></blockquote>
She is a Trustee of the Royal Academy of Music<ref>{{cite web |title=Governing Body |url=https://www.ram.ac.uk/about-us/about-the-academy/management/governing-body |website=Royal Academy of Music}}</ref> and a vice president of British Youth Opera.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lucy Crowe joins us as vice president |url=https://www.byo.org.uk/articles/lucy-crowe-joins-us-as-vice-president |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=British Youth Opera |language=en-GB}}</ref>
Crowe was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to music.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64082|supp=y|page=B12|date=17 June 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist | 30em | refs =
<ref name="McAloon">{{cite web | last = McAloon | first = Jonathan | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalconcertreviews/11659313/Couperins-Lecons-des-tenebres-Spitalfields-Festival-review-ambitious.html | title = Couperin's Leçons des ténèbres, Spitalfields Festival, review: 'ambitious' | date = 9 June 2015 | work = The Daily Telegraph | accessdate = 24 December 2015 }}</ref>
<ref name="Clements">{{cite web | last = Clements | first = Andrew | url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/oct/20/classicalmusicandopera2 | title = The Coronation of Poppea, Coliseum, London | work = The Guardian | date = 20 October 2007 | accessdate = 21 May 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name="Holden">{{cite web | last = Holden | first = Anthony | url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/feb/11/classicalmusicandopera | title = If you want scandal, call for Handel | The Observer | work = The Guardian | date = 11 February 2007 | accessdate = 21 May 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name="Lucerne">{{cite web | url = http://www.lucernefestival.ch/en/performers/lucy_crowe/ | title = Lucy Crowe | publisher = Lucerne Festival | year = 2012 | accessdate = 3 September 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120803232710/http://www.lucernefestival.ch/en/performers/lucy_crowe/ | archive-date = 3 August 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="bc">{{cite web | url = http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Crowe-Lucy.htm | title = Lucy Crowe (Soprano) | publisher = bach-cantatas.com | year = 2008 | accessdate = 3 September 2012 }}</ref>
<ref name="Christiansen">{{cite news | last = Christiansen | first = Rupert | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/glyndebourne/9255412/Glyndebourne-interview-with-soprano-Lucy-Crowe-ahead-of-Little-Vixen.html | title = Glyndebourne: interview with soprano Lucy Crowe ahead of Little Vixen | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph | date = 10 May 2012 | accessdate = 8 April 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name="Berlin">{{cite web | url = http://www.deutscheoperberlin.de/de_DE/ensemble/lucy-crowe.45801# | title = Lucy Crowe | publisher = Deutsche Oper Berlin | year = 2008 | accessdate = 8 April 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name="klassik">{{cite web | url = http://magazin.klassik.com/news/teaser.cfm?ID=9559&nachricht=Dirigent%20Andris%20Nelson%20mit%20Schw%E4cheanfall%20im%20Krankenhaus | title = Dirigent Andris Nelsons mit Schwächeanfall im Krankenhaus | publisher = Klassik.Com | date = 31 August 2012 | language = German | accessdate = 3 September 2012 }}</ref>
<ref name="Kimberley">{{cite news | last = Kimberley | first = Nick | url = https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/cunning-little-vixen-glyndebourne--review-7770377.html | title = Cunning Little Vixen, Glyndebourne – review | newspaper = London Evening Standard | date = 21 May 2012 | accessdate = 12 April 2014 }}</ref>
<ref name="Intermezzo">{{cite news | url = http://intermezzo.typepad.com/intermezzo/2010/05/rolando-villazon-royal-festival-hall-handel.html#more | title = Rolando Villazon fails to handle his Handel | newspaper = Intermezzo | date = 5 May 2010 | accessdate = 12 April 2014 }}</ref>
}}
== External links == * [http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/singers/soprano/lucy-crowe Lucy Crowe] askonasholt.co.uk * [http://musicalworld.com/artists/lucy-crowe/ Lucy Crowe] musicalworld.com * [http://www.musicomh.com/classical/features/lucy-crowe_1007.htm Interview: Lucy Crowe] musicomh.com 2007 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140312213405/http://glyndebourne.com/production/cunning-little-vixen?page=2 The Cunning Little Vixen] Glyndebourne Festival 2012
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowe, Lucy}} Category:Living people Category:1978 births Category:English operatic sopranos Category:Musicians from Staffordshire Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music Category:21st-century British women opera singers Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire